Automatic dry closet



(No Model.)

A. BUTTON.

AUTOMATIC DRY CLOSET.

No. 364,988. Patented June 14, 1887.

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FFIQE ALPHONZO BUTTON, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMATIC DRY CLOSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,988, dated June 14,1887.

Application filed October 23, 1886. Serial No 216,099. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concerns Be it known that I, ALriroNZo BUTTON, acitizen of the United States, residing at the city of Grand Rapids, inthe county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented a new and usefulAutomatic Dry Closet, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of dry closets orprivies more especially adapted to be erected over vaults on groundsurface, being attached to the under side of the seat and operated insuch a manner that all poisonous gases or unwholesome odors areeffectually excluded from the room; and it consists in verticallyinserting into and suspending from thehole in the top of the seatan opencylinder or pipe' by a rim formed thereon, at the lower end of which aclose-fitting valve or cut-oftis operatedin conjunction with avertically-operating pin or screw, together with an open coil-spring, ismade to rotate from and into position over the lower end of saidcylinder or pipe by the partial weight of a person seated upon askeleton seat resting upon the head of said operating pin or screw, andthe same returning is secured in position by the slack of said springimmediately on meat ing said-scat; and the objects of my improvementsare, first-,-to provide a simple, substair tial, and economicalattachment to the seats of privies or closets, whereby not only the roomis made odorless by excluding therefrom all poisonous gases, but alsothe sight of the contents of the vault will effectually be shut off andhidden from view; and, secondly, that by an automatic arrangement of thesame the aforesaid objects cannot be neglected or forgotten. I attainthese objects by mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich-- Figure 1 is a vertical section of the entire dry closet inposition, the bench and seat being tipped back in a horizontal position,with part of the front cut away at x 00. Fig. 2 is a section showing theupper side of the valve or cut-offin position on lower end of the cylinder in connection with the hinge or bearings of the same on a line of.2,- Fig. 8, a vertical section of the closet cut down through thecenter of the operating pin and latch on a line of z 2.

Similar letters refer to similar parts througlr out the several views.

The skelctoned and hinged operating-seat A, the under scat, B, to whichthe same is attached, and the side H, (indefiuitelyextended) to whichthe operating foot-treadle E is hinged, constitute the frame-work towhich the trap is attached. The operating pin or screw a, Fig. 1, towhich power is transmitted by the person seated upon the skeletoned seatA, Fig. 1, resting upon the head of said pin, is formed of halfinchround steel or other metal, with feather or guides I) at the top andsquared at the lower end to abouttwo inches upward, and twisted so as toform ascrew or thread of threefourths of the circumference of the pinoraonethird twist in one inch of the screw, that being the lengthrequired to rotate the cut-off G sufficient to clear the hole; The pinor screwa is passed downward through a ha1f-incl1 hole in an extensionof the rim cast or formed 011 the upper end of the cylinder or pipe I),and thereby suspended from the holein seat B, Fig. 1, the upper end ofsaid pin a being feathered to said rim through slots in a holecorresponding with guides I), Fig. 1, and through an open coil-spring,t, on which the same rests by a pin through hole 0, Fig. 3, andcontinuing vertically through the one-half-ineh hole in the upperhearing or extended hinge, d, Fig. 3, and through a tln'ee-cighths-inchsquare hole in corresponding nut formcd in extension of spider f, Fig.8, to which sheet-metal cut-off G, Fig. 2, is attached, and continuingthrough lower bearing or hinge, c, Fig. 3, operating vertically by forceof person and slack of spring 2', cansing the valve or cut-off G torotate from and into position and secure, the said screw being featheredto the cylinder D, as aforesaid, and operated vertically in entering itscorresponding nutin extension ofcut-offorspiderf,hinged between saidbearings. The screw or thread turning to the right causes the nut torecede and rotate to the left and return secure in position. Theskeletoned seat A, Fig. 1, hinged to a cleat on opposite side of thehole in top of seat 13, is provided with a cleat, O, extending to belowthe seat B whenpressed down, to which a rod, F, is attached by hook andsta ple h, Fig. 1, at the top and stapled to a foottreadle, 1*], hingedto a clcat on floor, by which with the operating-pin, forms a hinge oraxis upon which the cut-off or valve rotates. The spider f is a castingin the form of a dagger, wlth an inverted or crescent-shaped hiltcorresponding to the circle of the sheet-metal cutoff G, to which thesame is attached, as shown by dotted lines, Fig. 2, at the extremity ofwhich a friction-roller, g, is arranged in a slot cast therein, turningupon a pin inserted at z on left of Fig. 2, having its bearing on theunder side of extension of bearing or hinge d, to lessen the friction ofthe cutoff and to keep the same from sagging out of a level position.

I am aware that other automatic stenchtraps have been made to operatefrom pressure on the seat and with the foot, but only in connection withletting on water and opening and closing a valve falling from theaperture,

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent as my invention,is-

In an automatic dry closet, the combination of a reciprocating valve orcut-off composed of parts f and G, the former provided with afriction-roller at the extreme outer end, and also provided with a nutat its axis of reciprocation, with a vertically-reciprocating pin, (I,provided with guides at the top end and feathered to hollow cylinder .Dand made auger-shaped at its lower end, corresponding with andreciprocating in the nut at the'axis of the valve, and attached by ahinge to cylinder D, whereby the valve can be moved from and to positionover the mouth ofsaid cylinder by weight of person on seat A, inconjunction with the spring '5, operating-seat A, and treadle O,substantially as show u and described.

ALPHONZO BUTTON. Witnesses ARTHUR G. DENISON, EDWARD B. Esoor'r.

